Corn-husking implement



No. 608,303. Patented Aug. 2, I898. L. r. nm-:. CORN HUSKING IMPLEMENT.

(Applic'a'tion filed Aug. 11, 1897.) (No Model.)

\ r A Z g t M A6].

UN TED STATES I PATENT OFFICE LEWIS F. RIFE,- OF MOUNT STERLING, OHIO.

CORN-H'USKING. IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,303, dated August 2, 1898.

Application filed August 11, 1897. erial No. 647,865. (No model-l I of Ohio, have invented a new and useful.

Oorn-Husking Implement, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvementsinimplements for husking corn of that class which are to be Worn in the palm of the hand; and the Object of my invention is to provide an implement which shall be entirely free from Objections which exist against the employment of prior huskers with whichI am familiar.

It is my object to provide an implement which can be worn with ease and without chafing the wrist, thumb, and palm of the hand and allow free movement of the hand and at the same time to afford a protection to j the palm and the wrist.

hand in the operation-of pulling off the husk.

The flexible band of my implement has a curvature imparted permanently thereto by the metallic elements of the implement to make the latter conform to the shape of the ball of the thumb and permit the implement to be worn with ease and insure freedom of movement to the fingers.

I am aware that prion to my invention it has been proposed to provide an implement consisting of abroad leather strip to cover the palm of the hand combined witha metallic palm-plate and a short hook which extends up from the plate and toward the fingers; also, that a curved plate has been applied diagonally across a pliable band and provided at one end with a curved hook which stands or' inclines under the thumb, and that two straps to be passed around the hand and the wrist and employed :in' connection with an angular broad plate and a hook; but all such prior devices are open to serious objections from one cause or another, such as interferingwith the free movement of the hand and the thumb, of chafing the thumb and wrist, of pressing upon the palm, and of offering broad surface under which the husks may catch and interfere with the proper working of the implement.

' My invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, forming an improved husking implement, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my implement applied to a hand. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the implement in its flat or spread-out condition. Fig. 3 is a sectional view,taken through the implement, on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2.-

Like numerals of reference denote correedge 2 at one side and the inclined edge 3,

which is curved or rounded, at the broad thumb portion of the handpiece. This edge of the thumb portion is carried inward, as at .5, and the handpiece is extended at one end to form the strap 6, which is perforated to receive the tongue of the buckle 7, the latter being fastened to the opposite end or corner of the handpiece.

In the thumb portion of the handpiece is formed a segmental or curved slot 8, which extends across the handpiece nearly from the front to the rear edges thereof, and this slot is curved irregularly to provide the tongue 9, that is adapted to lap over the thumb to protect the latter when the implement is applied to the hand in position for use.

Across the handpiece, adjacent to the thumb-slot 8 therein, is attached a shapingplate 10, which is curved or bowed longitudinally and is united rigidly to the handpiece, so as to impart thereto a transverse curvature, whereby the handpiece is made to fit properly to the thumb of the hand and to the palm thereof. This curved plate 10 consists of a thin narrow plate extending straight across the handpiece nearly from the curved front edge to the straight back edge thereof,and said curved plate is united permanently to the handpiece in a suitable wayas, for instance, by rivets. As the curved plate is quite narrow and as it is fastened to the handpiece to lie close thereto the plate affords a minimum surface for the husks to catch under. At the same time the curved plate imparts to the handpiece a permanent transverse curvature to make the implement fit snugly to the ball of the thumb and to a part of the palm, whereby the i111 plement can be worn with ease and the thumb and fingers are free to enable them to be used without hindrance from the device while it is worn on the hand.

To the transversely-arranged curved plate 10 is applied the hook 11. This hook has an extended shank 12, which is curved in the direct-ion of its length to conform to the shape of the plate 10, and the shank is united securely to the plate 10 to make the parts fit closely together and to hold the hook rigidly in place. The hook curves upward and backward, and the hook stands in a position straight across the handpiece and in line with the fingers, whereby the hook is arranged to have a straight pull on the husk of the ear of corn.

To use my implement, the operator fits it to the hand across the back part of the palm and passes the thumb through the slot. The handpieee is adjusted around the hand, the wrist, and across the ball of the thumb, and it affords protection to all these parts without chafing, while allowing free use of the hand and fingers in the operation of husking.

My hook is placed in the center of the hand, and the hand may be held perfectly straight and in its natural position all the time, the hook standing directly toward the fingers to have a straight pull.

By the use of the curved plate I not only give to the leather a permanent transverse curvature, but the strain is taken off the rivets and placed on the palm of the hand when the device is in use and the device is held perfectly solid and firm in the palm and against the ball of the thumb. If a broad curved plate were used to cover the palm or the back portion of the hand and the ball of the thumb, the device would be made so stiff and unyielding as to interfere not only with the free motion of the hand, but with the proper use of the wrist, thus hindering to a great extent the motion of the hand in the husking operation. By the use of a narrow strip-like plate I overcome these objections and provide a device which not only protects the palm and the wrist, but serves effieicntly in giving the desired shape to make the leather fit snug to the hand and as a supporting medium for the hook which pulls the husk off the car.

My improved device is very simple in construetion and it is cheap of manufacture. It overcomes objections which exist to the use of prior husking devices in the particulars hereinbefore pointed out.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, the cornhusking implement comprising a pliable handpieee provided at one edge with the enlargement 3 and with the curved slot forming a thumb-protecting tongue, 9, the narrow longitudinally-curved shaping-plate secured rigidly to the handpiece substantially at right angles to a straight edge thereof, adjacent to the thumb-slot therein, and giving to said handpieee a permanent transverse curvature at the ball of the thumb, and a narrow hooked plate with its shank overlapping the shapingplate and united rigidly thereto, said shaping-plate and hooked plate lying in close relation to the handpiece, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LE\VIS l RTFE.

\Vitnesses:

C. II. lLmnuvam, JOHN W. llawmvmxr. 

